Kelowna West by-election underway to elect new MLA

It’s voting day in the Kelowna West riding as residents elect a replacement for former premier Christy Clark who resigned last summer, shortly after a minority New Democratic Party government forced her Liberals from power.

Five people are fighting for the seat, including Liberal Ben Stewart — who won the riding in 2013 but stepped down so Clark could run after she was defeated in her Vancouver-area riding.

Robert Stupka, an engineer and certified passive house designer, is running for the Green party, while Shelley Cook represents the New Democrats, Kyle Geronazzo is running for the Libertarians and Mark Thompson carries the Conservative banner.

Elections BC says about 6,100 — or 13 per cent — of the riding’s nearly 47,000 voters have already cast ballots in advance polls — and just under 41 per cent of eligible voters tookpart in the last by-election in 2013.